Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

जानता यत्कृतं पापं तच्चैवाक्षयतां व्रजेत् । न करोति महीपालो यदि तस्य विनिग्रहम्

Transliteration

jānatā yatkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ taccaivākṣayatāṃ vrajet | na karoti mahīpālo yadi tasya vinigraham

Translation

എന്നാൽ അറിഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് ചെയ്ത പാപം അക്ഷയഫലത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു; ദേശാധിപനായ രാജാവ് അവനെ നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് ശിക്ഷിക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ।

Word by Word

• jānatā: knowingly; by a knowing person
• jānatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (by one who knows/knowingly)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• kṛtam: done; committed
• kṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed; surely
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/only)

• akṣayatām: to imperishability; to an undiminishing state
• akṣayatām: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣayatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; गत्यर्थ-क्रियायाः लक्ष्य (to imperishability)

• vrajet: would go; would lead to
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• karoti: does
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahīpālaḥ: the king; ruler
• mahīpālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मह्याः पालः)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• tasya: of him; his
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• vinigraham: restraint; punishment; suppression
• vinigraham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-ni-√grah (ग्रह् धातु) + a (घञ्/भाव) / vinigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Hari

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari articulates a stern principle: deliberate sin becomes enduring if the king fails to restrain; imagery can juxtapose compassionate counsel with the firmness of law—king with scepter, scales of justice, and a protected sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla (king)
• vinigraha (restraint/punishment)
• akṣaya (inexhaustible)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deliberate sin hardens into lasting consequence; social and royal restraint (vinigraha) is part of dharma’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it provides dharmic governance context within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it discusses ethical-legal restraint rather than a ritual act.